Refrigerating system



Feb. 20, 1934.

E. MAXWELL 1,948,389

REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed May 4, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l N QQ w Q =1 Emmamwa MTTQRNE'S Feb. 20, 1934. E MAX L 1,948,389

REFRIGERAT ING SYSTEM Filed May 4, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 may[rzmeZZ/Vzrmell INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE one-half to John Watt Womaok,

Reidsville,

Application May 4, 1931. Serial No. 534,965

4 Claims.

My present invention has reference to refrigeration.

My object is the provision of a system of refrigeration whereby articleswill be retained at substantially the same low degree of temperature asthe refrigerating agent.

A further object is the provision of a refrigerating system in which iceis employed as the refrigerant, and in which cold air created by the orefrigerant will be caused to circulate entirely around the coolingchamber in which the refrigerant is arranged in a continuous flow, andfurther wherein such separated columns of air will serve to cushion andto insulate each other from outside or atmospheric air conditions.

A still further object is the provision of a refrigerating system whichis admirably adapted for use in connection with any ordinary ice cooledrefrigerator provided with the usual 0 doors, the box or body of therefrigerator being formed with spaced but closely related cold aircirculating compartments that have ports which communicate with eachother, but which are free from communication with the refrigerant orcooling compartment and with the outside air and in which the coldtemperature created by the refrigerant will be caused to continuouslycirculate around the compartments as long as "0 the doors are closed sothat all parts of the cooling chamber or refrigerating compartment willbe maintained at substantially the same low temperature as therefrigerant, such circulation being temporarily halted when the doorsare open and warm atmospheric air is permitted to enter the cooling andrefrigerating chamber but will immediately and automatically occur assoon as the doors are closed.

The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from aconsideration of the following detailed description when read inconnection with the accompanying drawings which form part of theapplication, with the understanding, however, that the improvement iscapable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showingof the drawings nor to the precise construction described, and,therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therefrom as donot affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof asexpressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ordinary refrigerator embodying myimprovement, parts being broken away and parts being in section.

Figure 2 is a substantially vertical transverse sectional viewtherethrough. V

Figure 3 is an approximately central vertical longitudinal sectionalview therethrough. V

Figure 4 is a sectional view approximately on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.a

Figure 5 is a perspective View of one of the spacing brackets. A

While in the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an ordinaryconstruction of ice cooled 65 refrigerators provided with my new coolingsystem I desire it understood that the system is not to be restricted inits useful application to this type of ice boxes and that the same maybe successfully employed in connection with any other type ofrefrigerators in which ice is employed as a refrigerant. Withmodifications the system is also admirably adaptable for use inconnection with refrigerators where solid carbon dioxide is employed asa freezing or cooling 7 agent.

In the construction disclosed by the drawings the numeral 1 designatesthe cooling compartment. The compartment is preferably of metal, such asgalvanized iron, zinc, copper, etc., and 30 the metal is comparativelythin. The chamber 1 is entirely closed except for the opening providedtherein that is normally closed by the upper door 2 through which theice is delivered into the chamber and the lower door 3 that provides forthe insertion or removal of foodstuffs. Both of the doors 2 and 3 arepacked with suitable insulating material and while the frames of thedoors may be constructed of wood the inner faces thereof are lined withmetal. The outer wall of the compartment 1, has the openingstherethrough in which the doors 2 and 3 are received provided withoutstanding angular flanges 4 respectively, against which the edges ofthe doors frictionally engage.

At each top and directly opposite the opening closed by the door 2 thechamber 1 is provided with a receptacle 4 for a cake of ice 5. Thereceptacle 4 is suspended in the top of the compartment 1 by suitablebrackets 6 and, of course, the receptacle is provided with an openingthat alines with the door opening, but the remainder of the receptacle,except for the top thereof, is closed. The bottom of the receptacle hasan ranged thereon the usual slatted support for the refrigerant 5 andthe said bottom is tapered from its sides and front to the center and tothe rear thereof to provide an inclined trough '7 that communicateswitha drain pipe 9 that extends through the bottom of the refrigerator.

The front of the refrigerator, at the portions thereof surrounding thedoors 2 and 3 are thickened to provide frames for the said doors, and tolikewise receive the flanged. portions 4 provided by the chamber 1therein and it is to these thickened portions 10 that the doors arehinged. The inner faces of the thickened portions are grooved to receivetherein the angle ends of substantially rectangular or box-like members11, 12 and 13, respectively. These embers are received one in the otherand are closely related. The members 11, 12 and 13 may be of wood or anydesired material and the said members are held in spaced relation at thecorners thereof through the medium of hollow angle brackets 14 mostclearly illustrated by Figure 5 of the drawings. Similar brackets holdthe inner member 11 spaced from the chamber 1.

The spaces between the chamber 1 and the members 11, 12 and 13 provideair circulating ducts which, for distinction are indicated by thenumerals 15, 16 and 1'7, respectively. The members ll, 12 and 13 arereally in the nature of box-like partitions that have their frontportions cut away to be received in the grooves provided by the parts10.

In the cooling chamber 1, opposite the opening closed by the door 3there are spaced transversely arranged angle brackets 18 that supportthereon reticulated shelves and on these shelves the foodstuifs rest.

The walls 11, affording the outer wall of the flue for the duct 15 hasits sides, and rear adjacent its top and opposite the refrigerantreceptacle 4 provided with ports or openings 20 that communicate withthe duct afforded by the flue provided by the walls 11 and 12. The fluewall 13, at the bottom and preferably at the center thereof is providedwith a port or opening 21 to establish a communication between the duct16 and the duct 1'? of the outer flue. The upper flue Walls 11 and 12,at the center there" of are provided with alining ports or openingsthrough which are passed and in which are secured a short tube 22, andthis tube establishes a port between the flue duct 17 and the flue duct15.

It is to be noted that the cooling and refrigerant chamber 1 is whollysurrounded by the ducts and that there is no port or communicationbetween the said chamber 1 and any of the air circulating flues 15, 16or 17 provided between the spaced compartments. Thus when A the doors 2and 3 are closed no atmospheric air can enter the chamber 1, and as allof the ducts are closed to the atmosphere no atmospheric air can enterthe air circulating flues of the ducts. When the doors are closed thecool air created by the ice 5 will circulate entirely around the chamber1, but such cooled air will naturally be directed downwardly. Thereforethe cold will be transmitted to the air in the flue l5 and this cooledair builds up in the flue 15 until the openings 20 are reached when itmay spill into the flue 16 and cool the air therein. As the air in theflue 16 cools it descends or passes into the flue 17 by way of theopening 21, forcing the air in the flue 17 to circulate upwardly andpass therefrom back into the upper portion of the flue 15 by way of thetube 22. Thus it will be seen that the air in the flues 15 and 17 willbe maintained in circulation.

When the doors 2 or 3 are open the clrcu1ation of the cool air in theflues ceases because of the atmospheric air rushing into the chamber 1but immediately after the closing of the doors the circulation of coldair through the flues automatically commences. With my refrigeratingsystem I have found from actual practice that by placing a bottle of abeverage, known as Coca-Cola in the chamber 1 and that after closing thedoors 2 and 3 the contents of the bottle was discovered to be frozen inan interval of thirteen minutes after the same was arranged in therefrigerator and this experiment should, it is believed, prove theemciency of my system and its manifest advantages over any otherrefrigerating system with which I am acquainted. In addition to thisless ice is required in the cooling of the chamber 1 than with any otherrefrigerator system of which I have knowledge.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A refrigerating system including a refrigerating chamber, closelyspaced internested cold air circulating ducts receiving the chambertherein and being closed to the chamber and to the atmosphere, the ductarranged closest to the refrigerant chamber having ports in its wallsadjacent to the closed top thereof, the next duct having a port at thebottom thereof to establish a communication with the outer duct, and thesaid closest duct and the outer duct having a tube connecting them at ahigh elevation for passage of the circulating air.

2. A refrigerating system including a metal refrigerating chamber,inner, intermediate and outer cold air circulating compartments, re-

ceived one wholly in the other but spaced from each other and the innercompartment enclosing therein but being spaced from the refrigeratingchamber, the inner and the intermediate compartments having portsestablishing communications between each other, the inner compartmenthaving a port for establishing a communication with the outercompartment and the outer compartment having a tubular member enteringthe inner compartment from the top thereof, a frame having upper andlower openings and to which the compartments and the chamber areconnected, insulated hinged doors for closing said openings and an icereceptacle in the top of the chamber opposite the upper door.

3. A refrigerator comprising a metal cooling chamber having arefrigerant therein, a receptacle in the upper portion of the chamberfor the refrigerant, reticulated removable trays in the chamber,internested wooden cold air circulating compartments including an inner,an intermediate and an outer compartment, 2. frame having upper andlower openings and having grooves to receive the ends of thecompartments therein and the metal chamber having flanged portions whichextend into and contact with the walls provided by the openings, hingeddoors for the openings having inner insulations and metal coveringplates therefor, the chamber being wholly received in the innercompartment, corner brackets spacing the chamher and the compartmentsfrom each other, a drain pipe leading from the receptacle and passingthrough the bottom of the chamber and through the members, the innercompartment having ports disposed opposite the refrigerant receptacle,the intermediate compartment having a port in its bottom communicatingwith the outer compartment, and the inner and intermediate compartmentshaving communicating ports in the top thereof, and a tubular member andintermediate compartments having openings to communicate theintermediate and outer air circulating ducts and the inner andintermediate air circulating ducts, said compartments and chamber havingalining openings, a frame in said alined openings and connected to thecompartments and the chamber, insulated means for opening and closingthe frame, and a cooling medium in the chamber and spaced from the topand sides thereof.

EMMETT MAXWELL.

